A childcare worker in Morgan Hill has been arrested on child endangerment charges after officials at the facility terminated her for allegedly putting a sleep aid into children’s drink cups.
Deborah Gratz, 59, had been a teacher at the Kiddie Academy Childcare facility for five years, according to police. Her primary responsibility was caring for children between 1 and 2 years old.
Gratz was terminated on Friday when a witness spotted her putting something in the children’s drinking cups. She was confronted and told the administrators the substance was Sominex, an over-the-counter sleep aid. She did not explain her reasoning behind the actions.
Morgan Hill police began an investigation into Gratz’s actions and served a search warrant on her Hollister home Monday. She was arrested there and charged with child endangerment, a felony. Police say they also seized evidence at the residence, but did not elaborate.
Anyone with information on this investigation or who believes their child was under the care of Gratz at the Kiddie Academy is asked to call Morgan Hill police at (408) 779-2101. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Silicon Valley Crimestoppers at (408) 947-7867.
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